Sony Pictures Home Entertainment almost got blind sided
again by a certain eager retailer posting street dates before official
announcements could be cranked out by the studio.
This “certain retailer” (come on, we all know that it is
amazon.com) began taking orders for a June 14 DVD and Blu-ray launch of
writer/director Michael Showalter’s feature-length version of filmmaker Laura
Terruso’s 2011 short film, Doris & the Intern … which was
retitled for the screen as Hello, My Name is Doris.
That order-taking activity was likely spawned by the May 31
window for online digital/HD sales, which was in turn triggered by agreements
related to box office performance … and probably pressure from arch rival
Netflix.
While Sony Pictures Home Entertainment was slow to respond
to the pre-announcement sales activity for both Risen and The 5th
Wave, they jumped on this leak quickly with a full-blown press
announcement for this delightful Sally Field comedy within hours of that
retailer’s order taking activities.
Yes, June 14 is the real street date, which yields an ARR of
95 days. Box office receipts currently
stand at $12.8 million. Normally, that level
of box office performance would be considered a “failure,” but Hello,
My Name is Doris is not a studio production, but an indie theatrical
release (Roadside Attractions) that got its start on the festival circuit
(SXSW), which was then followed by a platform theatrical release … a few
screens, a few more screens, a jump to nearly 500, another 400 and then back
down again.
DVD and Blu-ray will certainly give this intergenerational comedy
a much wider audience … and, as a bonus, this wonderful little film showcases
Sally Field’s best work in years.
As to bonus goodies, Sony says that there is “filmmaker
commentary,” which we assume means director Michael Showalter and co-writer
Laura Terruso, an alternate opening, plus deleted and extended scenes.
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